Shock detector

• US 10,288,662 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2016
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shock Alert, LLC
• Original Assignee: Shock Alert, LLC
• Inventors: King, Jr., L. Herbert, Keeven, James, Vlasaty, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoai-An D.
• Application Number:
  US14/999,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20170287306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 324323, 324347, 324600, 324649, 324691, 324713
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/155 Indicating the presence of voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/165 Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16576 comparing DC or AC voltage with one threshold G01R19/16514, G01R19/16519, G01R19/16528, G01R19/16533 and G01R19/1659 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0857 Dosimetry, i.e. measuring the time integral of radiation intensity; Level warning devices for personal safety use nuclear radiation dosimetry G01T
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/12 Measuring electrostatic fields or voltage-potential
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/082 by monitoring electrical characteristics of the water

Abstract

A shock detector for determining the existence of a voltage gradient in a body of water, which may be remote from a structure and providing an alarm when the voltage gradient comprises a hazardous electrical condition that could injure or kill are person coming into contact with the body of water.

Claims

1. An ungrounded battery powered shock detector comprising;

a housing;

a first water electrode for immersing in a body of water;

a second water electrode for immersing in the body of water;

a third water electrode for immersing in the body of water;

a processer for measuring a voltage gradient between at least two of said water electrodes;

an alarm for alerting a person to the existence of a harmful voltage gradient in the body of water where the harmful voltage gradient is such that it could injure or electrocute a person; and

a battery in the housing with the alarm providing at least four different alarm signals with each alarm signal dependent on a voltage of the battery and the voltage gradient in the body of water.

2. The ungrounded battery powered shock detector of claim 1 where the shock detector is buoyant and self-righting as the shock detector floats in the body of water with of said water electrodes located on a bottom side of the shock detector and the alarm is located on a top side of the shock detector with each of said water electrodes in contact with the body of water as the battery powered shock detector floats in an upright position in the body of water.

3. The battery powered shock detector of claim 1 wherein the shock detector is a radio controlled shock detector with the radio controlled shock detector having at least one propeller for propelling the battery shock detector about in a body of water in response to a signal from a remote transmitter.

4. The battery powered shock detector of claim 1 wherein the shock detector provides an alarm signal dependent on the strength of the voltage gradient in the body of water.

5. The battery powered shock detector of claim 1 wherein after each alarm signal the processor measures the battery voltage to determine if the battery voltage is above an operating threshold.

6. The method of self-testing a battery powered shock detector having a battery, a battery powered green LED light and a battery powered red LED light comprising the steps of:

measuring a battery voltage of the battery in the shock detector during an open circuit condition;

measuring the battery voltage when the green LED light is on;

measuring the battery voltage when the red LED light is on;

activating the shock detector if the battery voltage is above a fail condition only if the battery voltage is above the fail condition when the green LED light is on, the battery voltage Is above the fail condition when the red LED light is on and the battery voltage is above the fail condition during an open circuit condition or stopping the battery powered shock detector from operating if the battery voltage is below the fail condition with the red LED light on, the battery voltage is below the fail condition with the green LED light on or the battery voltage is below the fail condition when measuring the battery voltage in the open circuit condition.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the battery powered shock detector activates an audible alarm in response to the presence of a harmful voltage gradient in a body of water.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of measuring the battery voltage during an open circuit condition is done at least once a second.

9. The method of claim 6 including measuring the battery voltage after the start of a flash of the green LED light but before a flash of the red LED light and measuring the battery voltage after the start of a flash of the red LED light.

10. The method of claim 6 where the green LED light flashes to indicate the shock detector does not detect a harmful voltage gradient in a body of water and the red LED light flashes to indicate the presence of harmful voltage gradient in a body of water.

11. A method of detecting a hazardous water condition with a battery powered voltage detector comprising the steps of:

measuring a voltage of the battery and a voltage gradient in a body of water;

providing a first signal if the battery voltage is low and there is no harmful voltage gradient in the body of water and providing a second signal if the battery voltage is low and there is a harmful voltage gradient in the body of water and providing a third signal if the battery voltage exceeds a safe level with the harmful voltage gradient in the body of water with the first signal the second signal and the third signal different from each other.

12. The method of claim 11 including the step of lowering the shock detector into the body of water with an electrically insulated cord secured thereto to prevent injuring a person in the event there is a harmful water gradient in the body of water.

13. The method of claim 11 including the step of providing a fourth signal if the harmful voltage gradient is less than V₁ when the battery voltage gradient exceeds the safe level where the forth signal is different from the first signal, the second signal and the third signal.

14. The method of claim 13 including the step of providing a fifth signal if the battery voltage exceeds the safe level and the harmful voltage gradient is greater than V₁ but less than V₂ where the fifth signal is different from the first signal, the second signal, the third signal and the fourth signal.

15. The method of claim 14 including the step of providing a sixth signal when the battery voltage exceeds the safe level and the harmful voltage gradient is greater than V₂ but less than V₃ where the sixth signal is different from the fifth signal, the fourth signal, the third signal, the second signal and the first signal.

16. The method of claim 15 including the step of providing a seventh signal when the battery voltage exceeds the safe level and the harmful water voltage gradient in the body of water is greater than V₃ where the seventh signal is different from the sixth signal, the fifth signal, the fourth signal, the third signal, the second signal and the first signal.

17. The method of claim 11 in moving the battery powered voltage detector from location to location in the body of water while using an alarm signal generated by the battery powered voltage detector to locate a source of the electrical fault in the body of water.

18. The method of claim 17 including propelling the battery powered voltage detector in the body of water with a remote controlled propeller.

19. The method claim 11 including the step transmitting an alarm signal from the shock detector to an onshore receiver.

20. The method of claim 11 including the step of attaching an anchor of the shock detector to limit the displacement of the shock detector as the shock detector measure the voltage gradient.